I
hate forbidding guests from flying because of the ticket-change fee. The era
when a doctor’s note impressed the airline is long gone. It still works for
travel insurers, a good reason to buy a policy.
My
problem arises most often with ear pain.
Cabin
pressure at cruising altitude drops only about 25 percent from sea level, but
that’s significant. If you bring a bag of potato chips you’ll notice that it
swells like a balloon. Air in any closed space does the same. If you have gas,
you’ll have more gas. If air in your middle ear can’t escape, the ear will feel
stuffy and then painful. If pressure increases still more, it may blow a hole
in the eardrum. This relieves the pain, and most small perforations heal in a
few weeks, but we don’t like to encourage them.
The best
preventative is a chemical nasal spray (Afrin, Dristan). As you sit in the
plane before takeoff, spray generously, wait five minutes for it to work, and
spray again. This should send the spray far up to reach the eustachian tube
opening, the only connection between your middle ear and the outside world. Do
the same before the plane begins its descent, an hour before landing.
Flying
doesn’t cause ear infections, so if you felt fine before boarding, it’s OK to
wait if your ear hurts after landing. Pain should improve after a few days. If
you see a doctor, he’ll forbid you to fly.
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